In over 20 years (with some boatless-year breaks in there), Ted...I not ONCE won the overall season. Every SSS trophy I won is sitting on a chest in my study, I can see them from here. All three of them. The best season finish I ever notched was eleventh, Dan Alvarez edged me out of the top ten that year.

Why? Lots of reasons, I wasn't willing to spend the money is one, but the REAL reason is that I am an OK racing skipper but not a particularly good one. My fine-tune sail trimming skills are so-so, I'm good at making bad decisions on where to go. I'm plenty competent enough, have been to Hawaii solo twice and around the Farallones so many times I can't count them any more but those things don't win Bay or ocean races.

Here's another reason... I didn't go out there to WIN. I went out there to challenge myself to do better. I'm not trying to "Beat Bob" (that'd be a waste of time!) or "Beat Greg" (fat chance!)... or "Beat Synthia" (I almost did beat her boat-for-boat once....but then my boat gave hers about 50 seconds a mile) I went out there to face the challenges of handling my boat well, learning new things, trying new stuff (asymmetric spinnaker for a couple of races in my last season). It was always nice to finish somewhere in the top of my division, but that was never the primary goal.


You wrote this --- "We all know that sailing under non spinnaker has big disadvantages in SSS races when it comes to start times, courses and likely effects when a boat finish." --- Bunk.. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. I've been beaten boat for boat by non-spinnaker boats that rate slower than mine. How many races hit big wind shadows and virtual re-starts in the middle of the race? LOTS. I really thing you're way off the mark going on and on about the disadvantages of sailing non-spinnaker. That, and if it bothers you so much, if you're so convinced that you're at a disadvantage, then get a spinnaker and use it. There's a good challenge for you....running a spinnaker singlehanded, with no autopilot.

What's your goal?

If you know what your goal is, and if it's not "finishing in the top five for the season" or "Winning the SSS Season" then why worry about it?